1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a charging cable, a vehicle, and a vehicle charging system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A method of sending a rated current value to a vehicle-mounted charger using a CPL signal (oscillation signal) in charging a storage battery of an electric vehicle from a home alternating-current power supply is specified by a standard. One such example standard is SAEJ1772.
A related-art charging cable of a charging circuit interrupt device (CCID) standard has a central processing unit (CPU) and the function of shutting off leakage. However, it only outputs a pulse signal based on the capacity of a breaker, for example, a home breaker and is unable to adjust a charging current.
Examples of a related-art technique having a relation to the present invention are described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-100569 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Literature 1) and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-171733 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Literature 2).
A charging cable disclosed in Patent Literature 1 includes a timer capable of setting a charging start time, such as a quick/economy button for use in specifying a charting time period and an extension enable/disable button for use in selecting enabling or disabling of extension to before or after a specific time period of a late-night rate (see, for example, paragraphs 0054 to 0056 and 0111 to 0120 and FIGS. 5 and 11).
Patent Literature 2 describes the use of a pilot signal from an oscillator in a power cable as a seizing signal for a vehicle charging system (see, for example, paragraphs 0046 to 0050 and FIG. 4).
A related-art charging cable can set a time period for charging, but is unable to set a current in charging a storage battery of an electric vehicle. Therefore, it is unable to adjust for usage of household electrical appliances. It is also unable to minutely assign priorities for charging, for example, so as to quickly complete charging depending on the usage of household electrical appliances. In addition, at a site where a breaker dedicated to electric cars does not exist, a charging current reaches a rated current of an outlet, for example, 15 A, and a breaker may trip.
A charger that does not present such problems and can control a charging current is stationary, and its non-portability is inconvenient.
Additionally, there is no charging cable that displays an actual charging current value in charging, and a user cannot identify the magnitude of a charging current with respect to a rated current of a breaker outlet.